Fluted lamp shade construction having unitary fastening and shapeforming rings



Aug. 26, 1952 FLINT 2,608,644

' FLUTED LAMP SHADE CONSTRUCTION HAVING UNITARY FASTENING AND SHAP ORM RINGS Filed May 19 T w, 2 5 6 .VM M 2 w 5y z/dzwf/y Patented Aug. 26, 1952 FLUTED LAMP SHADE CONSTRUCTION HAV- ING UNITARY FASTENING AND SHAPE- FORMING RINGS Harry EdgerFlint, Elwood, Ina; assignor to Aladdin Industries, Incorporated, Chicago, 11]., a

corporation of Illinois Application May 27, 1949, Serial No. 95,840

9 Claims. (Cl. 240-408) The invention pertains to lamp shades comprising pieces or sections of resilient sheet material held together to have a resultant tubular form that may be cylindrical or conical as preferred, and which require fastening means to hold the pieces or sections together and also require forming means to impart a desired circumferential contour to the shades.

It is an object of the invention to produce a shade of the class referred to comprising sections or pieces of resilient sheet material held in desired form by unitary structures each of which comprises fastening means for securely holding the sections or pieces of the shade together, and at the same time imparts to the shade a desired circumferential conformation, thereby avoiding the necessity of using fastening means separate from the forming means, and materially simplifying and cheapening the construction, without in any way decreasing its strength, effectiveness and appearance.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to produce a shade of the class referred to, that is of the so-called fluted type, in which the mid-portions of the pieces or sections of the shade are curved and bulge outwardly to form the flutes, and have their edge portions closely adjacent each other respectively and extending inwardly radially towards the axis of the shade, and in which the unitary fastening and forming means employed, securely holds the edge portions of the flute sections securely together respectively with said edge portions of successive flutes closely engaging each other, which fastening and forming means at the same time imparts to the shade as a whole, a desired circumferential conformation.

It is a further object of the invention to produce an improved type of reinforcing ring for shades of the class described, which includes angularly spaced clasps preferably formed from the material of the ring itself, there being as many of said clasps as there are pieces or sections in the shade with which it is to cooperate, each of said clasps comprising a U-shaped member preferably made from the material of the ring, the legs of each member being adapted to receive between them and to press closely together the edge portions of two adjacent pieces or sections of the shade material, and the ends of the U-shaped members being connected by the ring in the form desired to be imparted to the shade, one of said rings being preferably employed at each end of the shade.

The invention will be best understood by ref- 2 erence to the accompanying, drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof, in which,

Fig. 1 illustrates a shadein accordance. with the invention in elevation,

Fig, 2 is a plan view of thestructure shown in Fig. 1, r i i L,

Fig. 3 is a vertical, sectional view to anenlarged scale of a part of the structure shown in Fig. 1, taken along the line 3-3 in the latter figure,

Fig. 4 is a bottom view to an enlargedscale of a part Of the structure shown in Fig; 1,

Fig. 5 is a horizontal, sectional view to a further enlarged scale of a part of the structure shown in Fig. 3, taken along the line 5 5'in thelatter figure; and l Fig. 6 shows in elevationand to an enlarged scale, aportion of one of i the pieces or sections of the shade before it is incorporated therein. 1

Similar numerals refer to similar, parts throughout the several views. i

In Figs. 1 and 2, a fluted shade I isshown having upper and lower reinforcing rings 2 and 3 shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, the upper one 2 of which is shown in Fig. 2. As indicated'in Figs. 1 and 2, the shade l is of the fluted type comprising pieces or sections 4, 5, curved at their mid-portions to bulge outwardly, and having their edge portions extending radiallyinwardly and held closely together to give continuity to the appearance of the shade surface, In fluted shades, the pieces or sections 4, 5 are usually separate pieces of shade material, to facilitate economically using waste material from other typ s of shades, and the shade I may be made in that manner, or, if desired, it may be made of a larger piece or pieces of material folded at the inner edges of the flutes. As shown in Fig. 2, the ring 2 is circular with its ends joined at '6, for example, by welding. A spider comprising a central ring I and unitary radial arms .8, is secured to the ring 2 for example, by welding,

to support the shade on a lamp fixture. Excepting for the spider, the rings 2 and 3 are of the same construction and differ onl in diameter to give the shade the conical form sho wn in Fig. 1. However, the rings may have other forms than circular, to produce any desired form of shade, and the rings may be of the same diameter where it is desired to produce cylindrical or straight sided shades, the particular form of the rings and their relative sizes being immaterial in giving embodiment to the invention.

In Fig. 4, the construction of the ring 3 is more clearly shown. Said ring is preferably of metal wire having formed therein spaced U-shaped "clasps 9 at intervals corresponding to the spacing of the edge portions of the shade sections 3, 5. The legs of each clasp 9 are substantially parallel and close enough together to press firmly against thecorresponding adjacent edge portions of the sections 4, 5 and holdsaid edge portions tightly againsteach other. It will lee/noted that the legs of each clasp, have substantial length radially of the shade, which results in holding t1 e edge portions of the sections 5 firmly in engagement with each other for corresponding extents radially of the shade.

The form of each clasp 9 is better shown in enlarged view in Fig. 5, in which the legs of the clasp are shown at I0, which legs are connected at the closed end of the U by a cross-bar H extending through the engaged portions of the sections 4, 5. The cross-bar H is provided at. the.

1. A lamp shade including in combination secof said rings, each of said clasps comprising a U- mid-portion of its surface innermost in the shade,

with a depression l2 engaging the adjacent edges "of apertures 13 in the sections l, 5 containing the cross-bar, which depression tends to hold the clasp in the position relativelyto the sections, as shown in Fig.5. slits it in the sections 4, 5 from the apertures 13 therein to their l inner edges, permit the entry of the cross-arm I l into said apertures. As shown in Fig. 6, each'of the shade sections as shown for the section 4, is provided with an aperture [3 for each of the rings 2 and 3, to receive the cross-bar ll of the corresponding clasp 9. Each of said apertures l3 has extending from its upper edge, a slit [4 which continues through the inner edge of the shade section, to permit the insertion of a corresponding cross-bar H through said slit, into the aperture it connected therewith, by slightly bending the edges of the slit portion, and when said cross-bar is in said aperture, said slit edges are bent back to enter M application of suitable cement to the clasps s and '2 adjacent parts of the shade'sections.

Inconstructing fluted shades from separate sections heretofore, it has been the usual practice to first secure the shade sections together by fastening means such as eyelets or the equiv 'alent, after which reinforcing rings are inserted through the connected edge portions of the shade sections to give the shade the desired form. By the present invention, for the reasons above described, no fastening means for the shade sections are required in addition to the reinforcing rings themselves, since said rings themselves are made to provide the requisite means for firmly holding the edge portions of the shade sections together, in addition to imparting to the shade the form desired. A further advantageous resultof the invention is that by making the clasps for the shade sections fromthematerial of the rings, said ri'ngs'are substantially stiffened, permitting a smaller size wire to be used than with Having thus described my invention, what I 1 claim is:

shaped structure having parallel legs pressing together the edge portions of successive corresponding ones of said shade sections and a crossbar extending through said pressed-together edge portions of said shade sections. 7

2. A reinforcing and forming ring for lamp shades having sections held together at their edge portions, which ring comprises an annular reinforcing member of the circumferental form imparted to the shade, said ringhaving secured thereto spaced conformations corresponding to the sections of the shade, each of said-conformations including members holding and pressing together, the edge portions of successive ones of said shade sections, said ring comprising a, metal wire, and said holding conformations comprising "clasps carried by said wire, each of said clasps including parallel members pressing together the edge portions of successive corresponding ones or the shade sections and a cross-bar connecting one end of said parallel members and extending through apertures in said pressed-together edge portions.

3; A reinforcing and forming ring for lamp shades having sections held together at their edge portions, which ring comprises an annular reinforcing member of the circumferential form imparted to the shade, said ring having secured thereto spaced conformations corresponding to the sections of the shade, each of said conformations including members holding and pressing together the edge portions of successive ones of said shade sections, said ring comprising a metal wire, and said holding conformations comprising clasps carried by said Wire, each of said clasps including parallel members pressing together the edge portions of successive corresponding ones of the shade sections and a cross-bar connecting one end of said parallel members and extending through apertures in said pressed-together edge portions, said cross-bar having a depression en- 1gaging adjacent edge portions of the shade sec- I ions.

i. A reinforcing and forming ring for lamp shades having sections held together at their parallel members pressing together the edge portions of successive corresponding ones of the shade sections and a. cross-bar connecting one end of said parallel members and extending through apertures in said pressed-together edge portions, said cross-bar having a depression engaging adjacent edge portions of the shade sections, the other ends of said parallel members having rigid connection with the Wire of said ring.

5. A reinforcing and forming ring for lamp shades having sections held together at their edge portionawhich ring comprises a continuous metal Wire of the circumferential form imparted to the shade, said ring having integral clasps formed from the wire of the ring holding and pressing 7 together the edge portions of successive ones of spaced from each other according to the spacing of the shade sections, each of said clasps including parallel members pressing together the edge portions of successive corresponding ones of the shade sections and a cross-bar connecting one end of said parallel members and extending through apertures in said pressed-together edge portions.

7. A reinforcing and forming ring for lamp shades having sections held together at their edge portions, which ring comprises a continuous metal wire of the circumferential form imparted to the shade, said ring having integral clasps formed from the wire of the ring holding and pressing together the edge portions of successive ones of the shade sections, said clasps being spaced from each other accordin to the spacing of the shade sections, each of said clasps including parallel members pressing together the edge portions of successive corresponding ones of the shade sections and a cross-bar connecting one end of said parallel members and extending through apertures in said pressed-together edge portions, said cross-bar having a depression engaging adjacent edge portions of the shade sections.

8. A reinforcing and forming ring for lamp shades having sections held together at their edge portions, which ring comprises a continuous metal wire of the circumferential form imparted to the shade, said ring having integral clasps formed from the wire of the ring holding and pressing together the edge portions of successive ones of the shade sections, said clasps being spaced from each other according to the spacing of the shade sections, each of said clasps including parallel members pressing together the edge portions of successive corresponding ones of the shade sections and a cross-bar connecting one end of said parallel members and extending through apertures in said pressed-together edge portions, said cross-bar having a depression engaging adjacent edge portions of the shade sections, the other ends of said parallel members having rigid connection with the wire of said ring.

9. A reinforcing and forming ring for lamp shades having sections held together at their inner edge portions, which ring comprises an annular reinforcing member of metal wire of the circumferential form of the shade, said member having spaced conformations integral therewith for holding edge portions of the shade sections, each of said conformations comprising parallel spaced extensions of substantial length bent inwardly towards the axis of said member and at substantially ninety degrees to the adjacent portions of said annular member from which said extensions project, said extensions at their inner ends being bent away from the lines of said extensions in divergent directions from the body portions of said extensions and continuing in said divergent directions a substantial distance and there having bends of substantially one hundred and eighty degrees each towards each other into a common and integral cross-:bar of said member completing the structure of said conformation,

said cross-bar extending substantially parallel with the body portion of said member and having an inner surface towards the axis of said member for engaging edge portions of shade sections.

HARRY EDGER FLINT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,701,783 Law Feb. 12, 1929 1,923,555 Provenzano Aug. 22, 1933 1,959,143 Watral May 15, 1934 2,122,971 Angeletti July 5, 1938 2,192,624 Schwarz Mar. 5', 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country 7 Date 582,300 England Nov. 12, 1946 

